Database
Maori
(New Zealand; Austronesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian)
Summary:
Morpheme-final non-labial nasals metathesize with a following front vowel when the nasal is preceded by a vowel that differs from it in backness.
Summary:
Morpheme-final non-labial nasals metathesize with a following front vowel when the nasal is preceded by a vowel that differs from it in backness.
Examples:
| Active | Passive | UR | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aroha | arohaina | *arohania | arohan | ‘love’ |
| tahu | tahuna | *tahunia | tahun | ‘burn’ |
| kai | kaiNa | *kaiNia | kaiN | ‘eat’ |
Conditions:
Morpheme-final segments other than non-labial nasals do not trigger metathesis.
‘wh’= voiceless bilabial fricative or [f]
When a morpheme-final non-labial nasal is preceded by a vowel that does not differ from it in backness, metathesis fails to apply.
Morpheme-final segments other than non-labial nasals do not trigger metathesis.
| Active | Passive | UR | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| maka | makaia | maka | ‘throw’ |
| awhi | awhitia | awhit | ‘embrace’ |
| hopu | hopukia | hopuk | ‘catch’ |
| inu | inumia | inum | ‘drink’ |
| mau | mauria | maur | 'carry' |
‘wh’= voiceless bilabial fricative or [f]
When a morpheme-final non-labial nasal is preceded by a vowel that does not differ from it in backness, metathesis fails to apply.
| Active | Passive | UR | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| tohu | tohuNia *tohuiNa | tohuN | ‘point out’ |
Motivation:
No information currently available.
No information currently available.
Related Information:
a. Truncation deletes syllable final consonants.
b. A morpheme-initial vowel is deleted after high or front vowels. This is basically limited to the formation of the passive voice verb forms. However this language generally does not possess a great deal of inflectional morphology to begin with a vowel.
‘wh’= voiceless bilabial fricative or [f]
a. Truncation deletes syllable final consonants.
| UR | Passive verb | Nominalized verb | Simple verb | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mahi | mahia | mahiNa | mahi | ‘work’ |
| motok | motokia | motokaNa | moto *motok | ‘punch’ |
| inum | inumia | inumaNa | inu *inum | ‘drink’ |
b. A morpheme-initial vowel is deleted after high or front vowels. This is basically limited to the formation of the passive voice verb forms. However this language generally does not possess a great deal of inflectional morphology to begin with a vowel.
| Passive verb | Gloss |
|---|---|
| noho-ia | ‘sit on’ |
| mahi-a *mahi-ia | ‘work’ |
| whiu-a *whiu-ia | ‘chase’ |
‘wh’= voiceless bilabial fricative or [f]
Symbols:
N = velar nasal
Last Updated: 6/18/2007
N = velar nasal
Last Updated: 6/18/2007
References:
- Sanders, Gerald. 1990. On the Analysis and Implications of Maori Verb Alternations. Lingua 80. 149-196.
